Adulting: Stretching, but not in the Traditional Sense...

I read this advice printed on the tab of my Dorset Cereal’s granola box:

Today’s a day to chat to someone new. Or someone old. Or anyone who fancies it, really.

Cute wording. Very wise thoughts. And very British with its use of “fancy.”

My granola company took an age-old concept, put it in a new dress and added some snazzy shoes. Because it’s really just a different way of saying “start with what you have.”

Maybe it’s because I’m 40, but I hear the same old sayings and I sort of gloss over them because I’ve heard them so many times they’ve lost their poignancy. But there are major benefits to what an article on Time.com refers to as “the science of stretching”:

To start stretching, ask a simple question: What can I do with what I have? This bypasses the paralyzing trap of waiting to get more in order to do more. Stretching also avoids the stress of agonizing over missing out on what others may have.

I find this concept comforting. Comforting, because we live in a time where there is so much information available to us. Especially when it comes to mental health. For example, I’m constantly tempted to read more and more self-help books! I’ve encountered so many amazing texts, but instead of really soaking them up and rereading and taking notes, I’m already skimming Amazon to see what else is available. I’m on information overload. And I don’t always need to be. I can slow down, and like real, physical stretching, it’s relaxing.

Most importantly, I also find the science of stretching motivating: it means I already have tools around me. I don’t have to wait. I don’t need to give in to the pressure to obtain more and more before I get down to work.

Bottom line: I’ve got plenty in my hands already. And I have a feeling you do too.